Iot device classification

There’s no shortage of strategic advice for the LOB manager when it comes to formulating a strategy for bringing IoT analytics into the division. Any tools vendor worth its PowerPoints has a quick answer, often before the question is asked … and the answer typically suits that vendor best of all.Make no mistake, the outpouring of self-service analytic tools is compelling. But a collection of tools does not equal a strategy. LOB managers are better advised to start with a basic understanding of the so-called big picture, of the functions, processes and people they’ll need to succeed in this brave new world. That requires taking a close look at the functions of the analytics pipeline itself, then moves to assessing the skills of the collaborative citizen-analyst teams that will run the analytics.A five-step analytics pipelineInternet of things analytics processes are complex and multifaceted, and far from a simple, sequential series of steps. Like businesses themselves, … [Read more...] about What if the LOB followed the right analytics strategy?

Information technology systems of the future are increasingly focused on where data is generated and processed, how it’s delivered and collected, and how quickly this data can move. Finding the most efficient path is key.Two of the most significant trends are the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), which fit together like hand in glove. In a very simple form, IoT is about a multitude of devices exchanging data from a multitude of data points, which are being collected in a plethora of ways and on a plethora of platforms. That data must be quickly analyzed and in most cases, sent to the next level for further processing.Meanwhile, AI is about programmatically manipulating this big data to make real-time and time-sensitive decisions. The only way to build for this technological union is with a hybrid multicloud platform. The elements of hybrid IT infrastructure providing the most efficient path for AI and IoT form the foundation of technologies that will … [Read more...] about AI, IoT, and the hybrid cloud: the triumvirate of IT’s future

HIGH-TECH INSTITUTION MIT has developed a neural network chip that could reduce the power consumption of devices by a whopping 95 per cent. Ideal for battery-powered gadgets to take advantage of more complex neural networking systems, MIT said the chip could even make it practical to run neural networks locally on smartphones or even to embed them in household appliances. That's because, in the chip, a node's input values are converted into electrical voltages and then multiplied by the appropriate weights. "Summing the products is simply a matter of combining the voltages," Biswas said. "Only the combined voltages are converted back into a digital representation and stored for further processing." Related: ARM unveils two new processor architectures designed for on-device AI The prototype chip can thus calculate dot products for multiple nodes, that is, 16 at a time in a single step, instead of shuttling between a processor and memory for every computation. IBM's vice … [Read more...] about MIT’s neural network chip can reduce device power consumption by 95 per cent

Researchers at MIT have developed a chip capable of processing neural network computations three to seven times faster than earlier iterations. The silicon is able to pull off this feat while simultaneously reducing power consumption by as much as 95 percent, making it ideal for use in smartphones or perhaps even household appliances. Neural networks are densely interconnected meshes of basic information processors that are taught to perform various tasks such as speech or facial recognition by analyzing massive sets of “training” data. Most neural nets are quite large and consume copious amounts of data, limiting where they can be used. As MIT correctly highlights, most smartphone apps that use neural nets simply upload data to the cloud. The data gets processed remotely and the results are sent back to the handset for use. This method has its advantages – being able to utilize huge neural networks, for example – but also some shortcomings like the fact that … [Read more...] about MIT’s new chip makes neural networks practical for battery-powered devices

Mentor’s Harry Foster looks at verification results findings in terms of schedules, number of required spins, and classification of functional bugs, in the latest installment of the Wilson Research Group verification study.Cadence’s Paul McLellan provides an overview of the portable stimulus standard currently being worked on at Accellera.Synopsys’ Anika Malhotra checks out JESD204B, a standard that provides bit rates up to 12.5Gbps for serial interfaces and reduces the number of digital inputs and outputs between high speed data converters and FPGAs and other devices.Semico’s Joanne Itow highlights a MSIG Executive Congress discussion on the availability of MEMS manufacturing capacity, the utilization of that capacity and the impact on the market.Rambus’ Aharon Etengoff looks beyond fingerprint scanners to new methods of biometric authentication.NXP’s Mike Dow checks out efforts to reduce to barriers to entry in the Point of Sale market.Icon … [Read more...] about Blog Review: Dec. 7

Automated design rule checking, or linting, has been around in RTL verification for at least a couple decades, yet still many HDL designers completely ignore this simple yet very powerful bug hunting method. Why would a busy designer need to run this annoying warning generator? The hostility against using conventional linting tools is often explained by the enormous amount of output noise, limited configurability, ambiguous reporting, and inability to capture a high-level designer’s intent. FPGA users also complain about the lack of vendor libraries support. Whether it’s an ASIC or FPGA, the presence of IP blocks creates an extra challenge for DRC tools, as IPs are often tool-generated or encrypted.While there are a couple of well-known, mature DRC-based verification tools on the EDA market targeting the large-scale ASIC segment, they also come with an annual license cost that exceeds the price of a new four-wheel SUV. The use of auto-formal methods applied to aspects such … [Read more...] about Better Code With RTL Linting And CDC Verification

The challenge of working out the best performance for a given power budget is not a new one, but in many power-sensitive applications, the balance is tricky and requires sophisticated techniques. This is especially true in the media processor market where many systems companies are held back by power, energy and thermal issues.“It’s really not a battery problem, it’s a thermal problem,” said Jem Davies, an Arm fellow and vice president of technology for the company’s media processing division. “If somebody produced a battery tomorrow that radically transformed your charging capabilities, it wouldn’t change my problem at all. My problem is still the thermal budget. For a huge number of our customers, they are thermally limited — different numbers for different classifications, but certainly at the high end, superphones, that’s a thermal problem.”How to deliver extra performance within the same thermal budget is the question.The … [Read more...] about Capturing Performance

Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: RTEC) announced today that two of the industry’s leading suppliers of advanced packaging services have purchased multiple Firefly Inspection Systems. The Firefly System, with Rudolph’s patented Clearfind Technology, can detect defects that are almost impossible to find using conventional imaging techniques – helping to significantly reduce yield-robbing failures in both the front- and back-end of the semiconductor manufacturing process.“Advanced packaging is rapidly becoming a critical differentiator for mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) device manufacturers with growth in multiple technology segments. This includes fan-out wafer level packaging, which Yole Développement estimates will have a compound annual growth rate as high as 50 percent over the next three years. We are excited to enable this rapid growth in advanced packaging through reduced cost and improved reliability of next generation technologies with our new … [Read more...] about Multiple orders for Rudolph’s Firefly Inspection System marks early success

The years-long PC sales slide will slow somewhat this year, Gartner has predicted."After declining 9.5 percent in 2013, the global PC market is on pace to contract only 2.9 percent in 2014," Gartner research director Ranjit Atwal said. The company lumps in desktops, notebooks and premium ultramobiles under the "PC" category.However, the skyrocketing demand for tablets will slow, Gartner forecast. Shipments will grow only by 24 percent over 2013, to total 256 million units.Mobile phone sales are expected to grow 3.1 percent over 2013's figures, to total 1.9 billion units this year.Smartphones will constitute 66 percent of global mobile phone sales this year, increasing to 88 percent by 2018, Gartner estimated. Changes in the consumer electronics marketplace -- especially a shift in devices used for content consumption and the rise of cloud storage -- have led Gartner to overhaul its classifications.Whether a device is a "PC" or not is no longer relevant to Gartner; what is relevant is … [Read more...] about Downward PC Sales Spiral to Slow

Data Analysis IBM announced new and expanded cognitive APIs for developers that enhance Watson’s emotional and visual senses, further extending the capabilities of the industry’s largest and most diverse set of cognitive technologies and tools.Three APIs, Tone Analyzer, Emotion Analysis and Visual Recognition, are now available in beta. Additionally, Text to Speech (TTS) has been updated with new emotional capabilities and is being re-released as Expressive TTS for general availability. These APIs are pushing the sensory boundaries of how humans and machines interact, and they are designed to improve how developers embed these technologies to create solutions that can think, perceive and empathize.“We continue to advance the capabilities we offer developers on IBM’s Watson platform to help this community create dynamic AI infused apps and services,” said David Kenny, general manager of IBM Watson. “We are also simplifying the platform, making it … [Read more...] about IBM Announces New and Advanced Watson APIs on the Cloud